{"id":19543,"date":"2023-04-03T07:19:41","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T07:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=19543"},"modified":"2023-04-03T14:12:12","modified_gmt":"2023-04-03T14:12:12","slug":"ten-little-fingers-ten-little-toes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/ten-little-fingers-ten-little-toes\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1912<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>JP Long<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN23304<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Ernie Mayne<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Smith, Bill; England : Shropshire; 1980
Butcher, Grace; Ireland : Co. Derry; 1966<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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I've been married just a year, you see\nAnd last night when I got home to tea\nI heard news that made me jump for joy\nI was the father of a bouncing boy.\nThere were visitors about a score\nI looked round the room and then I saw.\n\nTen little fingers, ten little toes\nTwo little eyes and one little nose\nThe visitors said, 'Ain't he like his Dad'\nBut his mother said he'll soon grow out of that, poor lad.<\/em>\n\nOne fine day I had a rare old spree\nI went bathing in the deep blue sea\nHow it happened only goodness knows\nSome rude person came and pinched my clothes\nI had nothing on to cover me\nAnd everybody on the beach could see.\n\nTen little fingers, ten little toes\nTwo little eyes and one little nose\nThe cinematograph would have had some views\nIf I hadn't had a copy of the Evening News.<\/em>\n\nIn the garden of Eden, so the wise folks tell\nEve met Adam in a flowery dell\nTheir existence must have been all gay\nThey had fruit for dinner every day\nBut with their clothes they were dissatisfied\nFor you can't expect a leaf to hide,\n\nTen little fingers, ten little toes\nTwo little eyes and one little nose\nAnd they couldn't have had any clothes at all\nIn the Autumn winds the leaves began to fall.<\/em>\n\nTen little fingers can earn a quid.\nDo the washing and spank the kid\nTen little fingers can quickly trace\nThe ten commandments on father's face\nTen little fingers can help a pal, they can take him by the hand\nAnd if he's down upon his luck, they can make him understand\nBut whether his luck is in or out, he's the same old pal to you\nThat's only a few of the wonderful things that ten little fingers can do\n\n\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The Era, 22 February 1923<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
A comic song from the 1910s, made famous in the Halls by \u00a0Ernie Mayne<\/a>, who more often sang songs which drew comedy from his large size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snatches of the song have been collected from traditional singers in England and Ireland<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bill Smith: Ten Little Fingers from VWML<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Not to be confused with the later American song of the same title by Ira Schuster<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n